Lightning News

What's left to address during Bolts offseason?

The last thing on the Tampa Bay Lightning’s to-do list during the offseason will be to address the situation surrounding its back-up goaltender.

“We’re still going to explore a couple things,” vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman said.

Last year's backup, Anders Lindback, is set to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after the Bolts confirmed they will not give the 26-year-old a qualifying offer.

Lindback posted an 8-12-2 record during the regular season last year and started all four playoff games for the Bolts in the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Yet Lindback may be the best option available.

“If I’m not able to move players or money it’s going to be hard to do anything anymore,” Yzerman said.

One area Yzerman acknowledged the Lightning have a surplus of forwards, but it will again come down to if he wants to explore creating more cap room by moving them.

Yzerman also acknowledged that the Lightning have a surplus of forwards and traded three of them, Teddy Purcell, B.J. Crombeen and Nate Thompson, late Sunday evening to clear cap space for acquiring a free agent.

Purcell was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for center Sam Gagner. Gagner was then swapped to the Arizona Coyotes, along with Crombeen, for a sixth-round draft pick in 2015. The last of the moves came when Thompson was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks for a fourth and seventh-round draft pick in 2015.

According to Cap Geek, the Bolts now have just under $10 million in cap space with free agency set to begin Tuesday at noon.